Only realistic Russell Westbrook trade is to Rockets for John Wall?

Marc Spears: “I was told that they have a couple on the table, several on the table, but the only one that’s really has some, you know, realistic potential to it is with the Lakers for Russ. They actually make, I don’t know if it’s nearly to the same dollar, but a similar salary, so you can trade them one-for-one without including anybody else. That 2027 Laker pick that you mentioned before, that first-round pick, seems to be pretty coveted, and I would expect it to be included in such a deal. But John’s in Miami. He’s been working out. He actually asked the Rockets for permission to be in Miami so he could be near his kids and focus on working out.”
Source: Spotify

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
ICYMI, some pregame listening. Today’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! What to watch for with Anthony Davis’ return, on the court and moving forward, plus the latest chatter about a Westbrook/Wall 2.0 trade. Does this make sense for the Lakers?
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ant… – 4:36 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Lakers resigned to trying to win with, not trade, Russell Westbrook: ‘There is no Plan B’ nba.nbcsports.com/2022/01/25/lak… – 2:37 PM

Ramona Shelburne @ramonashelburne
The Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook are stuck inside their own grand experiment. The answers either lie within, or there are none. espn.com/nba/insider/in… – 10:57 AM

Brian Windhorst @WindhorstESPN
New podcast. A look at Bulls’ challenges after injury wave, John Wall update & Blazers unexpected turn + more (w/@Marc J. Spears & @Kevin Pelton) es.pn/3ADjtO4 – 10:22 AM

Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
New @ringer article on Eric Gordon as a trade target, Phoenix’s suddenly deep center rotation, Point Pascal Siakam, Jitty John Konchar, Quentin Grimes, All-Star voting, and some thoughts on @Marc Stein’s intriguing Westbrook/Wall report. theringer.com/nba/2022/1/24/… – 3:57 PM

Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
If the #Lakers trade Russell Westbrook, he may already have an exit plan lined up.
#LakeShow #NBA
sportscasting.com/nba-trade-rumo… – 3:27 PM

J. Michael Falgoust @ThisIsJMichael
Lakers loss summed up in 3 consecutive plays:
-Can’t recover out of ghost action. Low man stunts but still gives up baseline cutter rather than forcing Tucker to finish on move
-Inducing Westbrook to take open 3 by going under 2
-Actual elite 3p shooter hits contested look 🤷🏽‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/krS0fI7Kx3 – 3:10 PM

Eric Pincus @EricPincus
Latest @BleacherReport Latest NBA Trade Intel: Would a John Wall-Westbrook Trade Really Help Lakers? — if the Lakers feel the “need” to get out of RW and are willing to pay a big jump in tax, a Wall swap could open some financial doors bleacherreport.com/articles/29527… – 2:19 PM

David Hardisty @clutchfans
This is a great read from @Kevin O’Connor. It accurately describes the trade value of Talen Horton-Tucker, how a Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade would work and why Eric Gordon is the “NBA Trade Deadline Name to Watch”
theringer.com/nba/2022/1/24/… – 2:17 PM

Kelly Iko @KellyIkoNBA
Rockets trade deadline notebook 1.0: What I’m hearing on John Wall, Eric Gordon, Christian Wood and more
via @TheAthletic theathletic.com/3087642/2022/0… – 1:58 PM

Kelly Iko @KellyIkoNBA
A handful of teams are monitoring the John Wall/Houston situation ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, sources tell @TheAthletic.
That and more #Rockets intel in version 1.0 of our notebook.
theathletic.com/3087642/2022/0… – 9:56 AM

Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
Dewayne Dedmon sees Max Strus a little differently after the pull-back cross and three on Westbrook pic.twitter.com/YgXhnxe3su – 9:50 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
DeMar DeRozan first 40-piece since 2018.
41 PTS
15-21 FG
0-0 3P
He joins Giannis, Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge and Ben Simmons as the only players with 40+ points without taking a three since 2015. pic.twitter.com/0FsmWB1IUW – 8:36 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
LAL get another bucket, another stop, and 2 bonus FT’s off a defensive rebound that Westbrook hit to cut MIA’s lead to 104-98 with 2:56 to play. – 8:29 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Miami use a 5-point possession, due to a flagrant foul on Westbrook, to take a 26-14 lead with 4:22 left in the 1st Q. – 6:29 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Heat are going after Westbrook on defense, catching him in actions set for Duncan Robinson and giving Butler iso wing possessions against him. – 6:22 PM

Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
Shaquille O’Neal personally delivered some stern advice to Russell Westbrook.
#Lakers #LakeShow #NBA
sportscasting.com/shaquille-onea… – 3:06 PM

The Ringer @ringernba
The solution is simple for Russell Westbrook: focus on spot-up shooting, cutting to the basket, setting screens, and locking in on defense. #TheVoidNBA
📺: https://t.co/bJvPlVcuf4 pic.twitter.com/WH2AD8gluj – 2:11 PM

More on this storyline

Marc Spears: “I’ve basically heard that there’s a couple other possibilities, but they’re more pie-in-the-sky possibilities, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility for this one to happen. To me, I think that as of today, this is the only trade for John Wall. If it happens, and Westbrook does come back, the Rockets get somebody that at least they know. -via Spotify / January 25, 2022

Oklahoma City has the ability to generate $34 million in cap space, which would allow them to trade for just about any salary. They have enough cap space to take on a player like John Wall, Russell Westbrook, and Tobias Harris and all they would need to send back is Derrick Favors. Their ability to spend in this trade deadline will likely be their final opportunity for them to facilitate salary dumps until at least the 2023 offseason when they are projected to have cap space. -via HoopsHype / January 25, 2022

I included a line in there about how the Rockets have zero interest in Westbrook actually playing for them again, but I didn’t properly expound on the buyout that would be required after such a trade. Westbrook is owed $47 million next season. If the Lakers actually reached the point that they were willing to send their 2027 first-round pick to the Rockets to convince them to ship out John Wall and take Westbrook back, it is expected that Westbrook and Houston would swiftly enter buyout talks. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 24, 2022